


The Rise of Mabon Morrigan (and his fall for Jack Frost)

by Torra_Katze



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: But Not A Guardian, Hiccup Becomes A Spirit, M/M, Mostly Jack, Occasionally Hiccup, Some Cursing, That's about it...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-19
Updated: 2014-06-19
Packaged: 2018-02-05 08:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1811134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Torra_Katze/pseuds/Torra_Katze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hiccup must be dreaming... He can't just be dead! That's crazy! And now some lady's trying to tell him the Moon picked him to be the Spirit of Autumn? No way.</p><p>(Yes way, but in the end, it's not so bad because then he meets Jack and it all goes uphill from there.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rise of Mabon Morrigan (and his fall for Jack Frost)

**Author's Note:**

> So, there are two scenes in here (and you'll be able to tell which ones, trust me) that are almost directly from The Rise of the Guardians (with added subtext and appropriate body-language on my part). Don't hate too much, 'cuz this is my first RotG/HtTYD crossover piece and I actually kind of like it. Characters might be a bit OoC, but only because I'm also writing a Transformers fic and it's a bit difficult to go from one fandom to the other without making a few errors on that part.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! (Because I did enjoy writing it... a lot.)
> 
> There'd be more notes, but it's five in the morning when I posted this and I've been up since one yesterday afternoon.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III had survived finding an injured, cornered Night Fury; dragon training; his father; his girlfriend; and the Red Death, which was arguably the most dangerous thing he's faced so far. (Toothless disagrees, but his dragon believes him to be accident prone, so he thinks Hiccup's very existence is dangerous.)

You'd think after five years with a track record like that, facing down a dragon twice as large and twice as mean as the Dragon Queen would be, well, not easy, but survivable.

You'd, unfortunately, be wrong.

So when Hiccup wakes up on a rocky shore that he recognizes as the liberated dragon isle, with Toothless sprawled out unconscious next to him and an auburn-haired woman hovering expectantly over him, he realizes that something is very, _very_ wrong.

His leg aches fiercely, but he bites back the pain and stands his ground in front of the unknown woman. It's night out, but her hair still shines in the pale light like fire. There is a large raven on her stooped shoulder that eyes Hiccup, assessing, and makes a hacking sawing sound that grates the dragon tamer's ears like nothing else.

"You are finally awake. Good," the woman drawls in a thick accent not unlike his father's.

"Who are you and why am I here?" Hiccup's not playing games tonight. He needs to get back to the village and find out what's happened. The woman laughs at the teen's impatience and that's what wakes Toothless, who jumps up with a growl and bared teeth. The woman chuckles again and strokes the raven's chest feathers.

"What do you think, my friend? Is he the one? The Moon believes him to be my replacement." The raven caws and ruffles his feathers, shifting on the woman's shoulder.

"Okay, look lady, I don't know who you are or what you want, but I need to go back home, so I guess I'll be seeing you. C'mon Toothless..."

"You will not like what you find, young one. It is best that you remain here and let me explain." The woman cautions. Hiccup ignores her and mounts Toothless.

Once Hiccup's halfway over the sea, he starts to get a bad feeling, kind of like the one he got when Toothless took them to the dragon's nest…

—Except worse…

When he lands just outside Berk, the feeling intensifies exponentially, almost overwhelming the teen. He clutches his dragon's reins tightly as they traverse the village, passing no one. The dragon stables are quiet meaning it's fairly late and he ought to get home before his father deems it necessary to send out search parties. No telling how long he's been gone at this point.

His house is just over the rise and he hurries to the door and inside, trying to shake the feeling of wrongness. His amputated leg itches and aches, but he ignores it in favor of calling out to his parents.

"Mom… Dad…? Hey guys, it's okay, no need to go out and find me! It's the weirdest thing, though: I ended up on dragon island somehow and there was this barmy old woman there, I'm not sure—" Hiccup stops short at the sight he finds in front of the fire. His newly rediscovered mother is kneeling on the hearth rug sobbing with his father clutching her close and shushing her softly. Hiccup almost trips trying to get to them.

He goes to put a hand on her shoulder, "Mom, hey, what's wrong, why are you--" except, his hand sinks through his mother's body and he jerks back as though burned. He stumbles into Toothless, who steadies him with a concerned rumble.

"I told you that you would not like what you found."

Hiccup and his dragon whirl to find the woman from the island standing in the doorway with a sympathetic expression. Her hair is still faintly glowing in the firelight, and Hiccup thinks she looks ethereal in a way that worries him greatly.

"Who are you?! What have you done to me?" Hiccup shouts, inciting Toothless to growl at the woman threateningly.

"You might know me as The Morrigan, bringer of harvests and autumn, bringer of change and winds, and you, my poor boy, are dead."

Hiccup shakes his head, "I... What..? You— you can't—"

"Oh, but I can," The Morrigan interrupts, "The Man on the Moon has deemed it time for me to 'retire', I should say, and he has chosen you as my replacement. You know who I am, do not deny. And you know there are more names for me than the one. I was chosen for this occupation at this old age during war and usurpation, long ago in the times of your nomadic ancestors, giving way to the legends of 'The Battle Crone' and the like. But you, you will be the new face! The true face of life and change, as this job should be represented! And you should count yourself lucky. You are the only one so far who has had someone to guide you through this most difficult time."

"I think you've got the wrong guy! I have a life, a girlfriend, a family! I can't just be dead!" Hiccup cried. Toothless warbled anxiously as his boy began to pace, clutching his hair, his armor, anything to keep his attention from his parents who knew nothing of the argument taking place not ten feet from them.

"No, you _had_ all those things, but now you are Mabon, the Spirit of Autumn. The Man on the Moon would not have chosen you if you were not needed. You should be honored, for you still would have died fighting that dragon. Now you have purpose, you have life. It is best you accept this change, for it is only the first of many you will witness and bring about."

Hiccup's mind catches up with him, telling him, logically, that it is useless to argue or fight. The Alpha got the best of him, and it was time to move on. But Hiccup didn't want to move on, not yet, not until he saw—

"Astrid."

"Ah, I think it would be best if you left here without seeing her. She is out of your reach now. If you go seek her out, I fear you will not want to leave. It is necessary that I teach you while I've still the time and strength to do so."

"But, Astrid—"

"—is a strong girl; she will mourn, but move on. You must trust me when I say that leaving here is the best course of action. You are needed elsewhere. I am sorry for your death and loss, but now you are more, and your purpose is great. You will be missed, but you must allow them, and yourself, time to heal and continue living."

Hiccup hesitates, glancing back at his mourning parents and then at Toothless, who regards him with trust, as though telling him 'Where you go, I will follow.' The dragon rider's eyes water, the events of the night catching up with him emotionally, and he's forced to accept the fact that this life for him is over, and now it's time to start a new one. He doesn't want to, and stubbornness is a factor that's trying to make a play, but Hiccup recognizes that that facet of his personality will only cause him more heartbreak and pain.

So, he looks to the crone and her raven, and with Toothless at his side, follows her out into the night. This would be the last time he saw Berk for many, many years.  
\--------------------

(1910; 200 Years Later)

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III hasn't had anyone but himself call him by that name in almost two centuries, but he's okay with that because everyone that used to call him Hiccup is gone anyway. Except his loyal best friend Toothless, who doesn't actually talk so doesn't actually count.

Speaking of his trusty dragon counterpart, Toothless suddenly brakes hard in midair, and would’ve bucked his rider off had he not been strapped down. The reptile gives a startled roar, and over the sound, Hiccup hears an equally startled yelp and curse combo.

"Oh my god, there's a dragon; I almost flew into a dragon; why is there a dragon?!"

Hiccup peers around Toothless' wide head to see a floating teen not much younger than him wearing naught but a blue long-sleeve shirt underneath a double-layered travel cloak, and a pair of skin-tight wool pants tied about his calves with leather thongs. The boy is clutching a long wooden staff with a natural hook in the end—

—That was currently pointed at Toothless’ face.

"There is a dragon in front of me... I must be going crazy, what the hell..."

Hiccup scoffed, "Could you not point that thing at Toothless, please? I don't want to be responsible for burying your burnt corpse."

The staff swung around to point at him, "And now there's a rider! Manny, if this is a hallucination, I'm never going to forgive you."

"I'm not a hallucination, now will you please put that thing away?! Jeez, and I thought _I_ was jumpy..."

The white-haired boy warily lowered the staff and flew closer, "Who are you? I thought I'd met all the others—course, Cupid was a bit weird, but whatever—but now there's you, and I know I would've remembered a dragon rider."

"A better question is who are you? You must be the one who's been using my winds for the past two hundred years!"

The pale teen frowned, "I'm surprised we've never met before if you're telling the truth and I've been borrowing your powers. I'd have stopped if I'd known, or at least asked permission, but the wind always responds to me, so it never crossed my mind that I've been bothering someone else. Now, what's your name?"

"My official name is Mabon Morrigan, but I answer to Hiccup."

" _Hiccup…_? That’s so cute!" The teen dived closer to Hiccup's face, "Cute name for a cute boy. Look at all those adorable freckles! And those eyes…"

Toothless growled at the boy's proximity to his rider. Hiccup, on the other hand, blushed to the roots of his messy hair when the boy reached out with cool hands to poke his cheeks.

The brunet backed his dragon up a few feet to get away from the touchy-feely boy hovering weightlessly in front of them.

"Wait, I've heard of you! You're the Autumn Spirit; practically my next door neighbor! I'm Jack Frost, Winter Spirit extraordinaire! I'm sorry for borrowing your winds, but I sorta need them to get around. You don't mind do you?"

Hiccup was still blushing, but he hoped the oncoming twilight concealed his face well enough that Jack didn't notice, "Um, n-no, not really. I've got Toothless here to carry me from place to place, I don't need them; not like that anyway."

He was failing this conversation almost as badly as those he'd had with Astrid.

A sharp pang filled his chest at the thought of the girl he'd loved, and he grimaced, suddenly ready to leave the presence of this excitable boy, "I've gotta go. Sorry, just-- get out of my way."

"Oh, nuh uh, I don't think so! You're not getting away that easy! I just met you and now you're trying to leave! C'mon, show some common courtesy!"

Hiccup growled and snatched his arm away from Jack's exuberant hold, "What do you think you're doing?! You don't know me! Leave me alone!" He wanted so badly to get away from this boy who reminded him of his lost love.

Jack backed up a bit with a hurt expression dawning on his face, "Hey, I'm sorry... I was just joking around; trying to be nice..." The Winter Spirit rubbed his arm sorrowfully, "I've never seen a spirit around my age before, and I just got excited. If you want me to leave you alone, that's fine; no problem."

Hiccup winced at the lost look that graced Jack's face and then harder at the false smile he tried on that in no way, shape, or form matched up with his original cheerful grin. The dragon rider sighed, "No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. You didn't do anything wrong." Honestly, now that Hiccup looked closer, he saw someone just as lonely and socially starved as himself and he hated the thought that this boy hadn't had a constant companion in as long, or longer, than Hiccup. "Look, you don't have to leave... I'm just twitchy ‘cause my season's coming up."

"You're not mad?" Jack asked hopefully.

Hiccup gave his first genuine smile in a long time, "Nah, promise."

Jack perked up, "Cool! We should hang out sometime! My town, Burgess, is just down there a ways! Come by when you’re almost done and I'll show you my cool winter tricks!" He winked, “Pun intended.”

Hiccup laughed, "Really how?" The brunet leaned forward in the saddle, "I think I'll take you up on that offer, but only if you find me sometime so I can show you how I do things. I'm sure it's not too weird to feel a bit of a cool breeze during autumn."

"Alright, deal! Shake on it!" Jack thrust out a cold hand, and Hiccup clasped it gently with his own marginally warmer palm. As their hands touched, Hiccup felt a fluttering sensation in his stomach, but Jack's beaming, perfect smile chased it away easily.

That was how Mabon, Spirit of Autumn, and Jack Frost, Spirit of Winter, became friends.  
\---------------------------

(1933; 23 years later)

It isn’t until after Hiccup’s gotten to know Jack better that he recalls The Morrigan’s final lessons to him:

_The only real way Hiccup knew the old woman’s time was coming to an end was the fact that her once vibrant red hair had slowly, over the years, lost its color and bled to grey._

_The Morrigan had been teaching the teen how to perform his purpose; how to change the green leaves to reds and browns, how to ripen the final fruits of the harvests, how to call upon the winds to carry the seeds to new growing grounds… She taught him as much as she could, but mostly left it up to Hiccup to figure it out through trial and error, which was how the Great Famine of 1741 in Ireland came about. That was his greatest mistake so far, and he remembered breaking down into a panic once he learned of the folly. Toothless was helpless to comfort him, unused to such a display of sorrow from his boy. In the end, The Morrigan took him aside and delivered one of two of the most life-changing things he’d ever heard from her._

_She looked him straight in the eyes and said, “You have to get hurt. That is how you learn. The strongest people; the ones who laugh the hardest with the most genuine smiles; those who have fought the toughest battles… They decided that they are not going to let the world hold them down. Instead, they are going to show the world that they are strong. That is what you will learn, my dear boy, for you are not infallible. You will make mistakes like everyone else, because even though you are immortal, you are not invulnerable or perfect, so you must show the world that you will not be beaten, and instead, you will learn from your mistakes and move on.”_

_Hiccup walked away from the crone weary, but lighter. He didn’t know what the future would hold, but he swore to himself that he wouldn’t let his blunders get the best of him._

_It was not much longer after that that he learned the second half of that lesson. Whilst flying low over the decimated Irish potato fields, he noticed a little girl sitting beside the road, singing quietly to herself while a group of dirty villagers milled around nearby. He pulled Toothless to a stop and watched as a small dog limped up to the child. The girl smiled, and pulled a meagre ration of bread from her pocket and fed it to the injured animal without even thinking about it, and then walked away down the road. The people scoffed at the child’s actions, angered that she would waste what little food they had to feed a dying animal._

_Curious, Hiccup followed, wondering where this girl came from. She didn’t disappoint, leading him to a rundown wooden shack that was practically falling apart at the seams. The girl strode inside, and Hiccup left Toothless outside to trail after her._

_He stopped on the threshold, stunned by the scene he stepped into. On the floor in a corner was a small palette of threadbare blankets, not nearly thick enough to protect the child from the oncoming winter. He watched as the girl sighed then laid down in the nest of rotting cloth._

_A gust of chilly wind swept through the hovel, making the girl shiver, and Hiccup turned to face The Morrigan wide hopeful eyes._

_The crone only shook her head, “Listen closely, Hiccup, for this will be my last lesson to you. My time has come, but I am glad that these are the final words I give. This girl cannot be helped by you, I am sorry, but do not fret; she will be moving on elsewhere soon thanks to the kindness of a stranger. But hear these words, child, and remember them: The loneliest people are the kindest. The saddest people smile the brightest. The most damaged people are the wisest. All because they do not wish to see others, great or small, suffer the way they do. There is an awful amount of evil in this world, with only a small amount of good, so we, as spirits, nurture this good and make it great. In our midst, there are the Guardians. They protect the children of this world and the good that will come of them. Perhaps one day you might meet them, and they can teach you a great many more things than I ever could.”_

Jack is lonely. That is the heart of it. Jack is lonely, and so is Hiccup. They’re both lost souls drifting in the sea of Immortality with no one but each other to clutch to. They’ve both been hurt, but they’re both ready to show the world who’s boss. They both smile, but underneath it all they’re sad and desperate for any attention they can get, even if it’s attention they shouldn’t want, like Jack’s frequent attempts to hold the first slot on the Naughty List for the rest of time.

They’ve met many times over the last few years, each meeting growing longer, and each smile more genuinely happy. Jack, though boisterous, is an oddly calming presence. He makes Hiccup stop thinking so much about the past and just enjoy the present. Unfortunately for Hiccup, a period of famine has struck the North American agricultural sector, and the brunet can do nothing about it. The dust storms blocked what little help the dragon rider could offer, and destroyed what little plant life that took root. It was when Jack suggested, after another day of watching Hiccup beat himself up over something that was frankly out of his control, that they go further north, into Alaska, which was fully submerged in autumn, but cool like early winter.

Hiccup eagerly agreed, wanting to get away from the destruction occurring.

They flew quickly, eating up the distance with the help of the wind. The great wilderness loomed ahead of them, decked out in beautiful shades of red and orange. The two landed on the shore of a lake, relaxing in the late afternoon sunshine and watching as the sun sank below the barrier of the forest. When the Moon was just barely peeking out from above the tree line, Jack jumped up and faced his friend with an excited grin.

“I want to show you something!” Without waiting for a response, the nimble teen leapt into the air and over the surface of the lake. He very gently touched down, but it was unnecessary, for as soon as his foot met the water, ice spread like a sheet, consuming all in its path. The white haired boy hopped around, jumping from random point to random point, all while twirling and sweeping his staff around in an intricate dance. In all honesty, watching him reminded Hiccup of snowflakes, winding and looping as they fell through the air.

Jack did this for several minutes, every once in a while leaping into the air to check his progress, and then flowing back down to continue. Suddenly, the boy swept over to Hiccup and tugged him to his feet.

“Trust me,” Jack whispered earnestly, “I won’t drop you.” And then Hiccup was flying, and Toothless was on the ground, and wow, is this what it felt like?

The brunet’s head turned every which way, looking out over the forests and up into the starry sky, but his attention was pulled by the glittering surface of the lake. He gasped at the image etched into its surface with ice; the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. The fractals twined about each other intimately, coiling like icy snakes and coating the entire lake top like a natural painting of winter. The ice was not thick, and it would melt by morning, but right then, Hiccup wished he could save the sight forever.

Jack was smiling at him, “Do you like it? The very first night I was Jack Frost, I did something similar to the little pond outside Burgess. I don’t do it much because there’s really no one around to appreciate it, but now that you’re here, I can do it all the time! You _do_ like it, right?” The smile was wavering now, as the Winter Spirit became unsure of himself.

“I love it…” Hiccup breathed, tearing his eyes from the lake and looking at Jack, which was probably a bad idea because, _wow…_ “Did you know, in my culture, where I came from, there was the legend of Jokul Frosti, your name sake, I think. Only, he was better known as ‘Old Man Winter’ and was decidedly not very good at making beautiful art with his ice…”

 _...Or being very good at being_ nearly _as beautiful as you..._

Jack’s beaming smile came back full force, and his ice-blue eyes sparkled in the strengthening moonlight like diamonds. His already pale skin and snow-white hair practically glowed in the borrowed light, and Hiccup got an idea.

“But now it’s my turn.” Hiccup grinned, whistling down to Toothless while Jack blinked in surprise. “This is something I’ve never shown anyone either, go sit on the ground and watch the magic. C’mon Toothless, it’s time to work bud.”

Hiccup dropped into his dragon’s saddle and anchored himself down, and together, he and Toothless shot into the sky. They did a series of complex movements, twisting this way and that, flipping and turning like the aerial acrobats they were. On the ground, Jack was whistling and cheering them on, a one man audience to Hiccup’s greatest show.

“Alright buddy, ready to show him what we’ve got?” Toothless warbled in agreement, and suddenly Jack went silent.

Lights erupted behind the flying duo, a writhing rainbow in the night. Toothless and his rider did several more tricks before diving down and landing near the Winter Spirit, who was staring up at the sky in wonder and awe. Hiccup joined him, standing side-by-side with his fellow seasonal spirit and looking up at the Northern Lights. The Autumn Equinox was another one of Mabon’s powers, and something he only got to do once every year and only in certain, usually out-of-the-way places. This wasn’t the full effect, as that would have taken up most, if not all, of the Alaskan sky (and was currently out of season), but this tiny version was enough for them.

“It’s beautiful,” Jack whispered. Hiccup’s eyes left the lights and moved to Jack’s face. The boy’s eyes were wide, and they reflected the squirming actions of the night rainbow. His hair was dyed in a myriad of soft colors that changed with the movements of the light. The very pale freckles that dusted his cheeks like tiny snowflakes shone softly. The frost at the ends of his dark lashes glittered like dewdrops clinging to leaves. His misting breath curled from his slightly open mouth and Hiccup had the sudden urge to find out what it tasted like, but he kept the thought to himself and smile gently at the shorter teen, mentally amending his earlier thought about beautiful things.

“Yeah, it is.” And he wasn’t talking about the lights. Jack looked at him and the most breathtaking smile lit up his face, brighter than anything Hiccup could conjure.

That was how Hiccup realized that he would recreate these lights every night if only to see that expression on Jack’s face again.  
\---------------------------------

(1968; 35 Years Later)

Jack supposed, not for the first time, that having a dragon for a pet must be pretty awesome.

Not that, you know, other pets aren’t cool too, but, _dragon_ …

As he watched Hiccup and Toothless maneuver through the air like fish in water, he wondered what it would be like to fly with the other spirit. The balance would probably be different because something else was holding you up, instead of you having to keep yourself from tumbling about in the wind out of control. The feeling would be different too; there’d be a creature beneath you. You’d feel the dragon’s muscles flexing as it fought gravity to remain airborne. There’d also be someone in front of you, who’s trim but muscular back would be pressed to your chest, your hands gripping the fabric at his stomach… You’d feel as he moved with the motion of his steed, as his body bucked in time with wing-fall, as it leaned into the turns and twists.

“You’re thinking pretty hard over here. Penny for your thoughts?”

Jack jumped at Hiccup’s voice right next to him. He was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t notice the dragon and his rider land and meander over to him, “ _Whoa_ , jeez, get a bell or something! Don’t sneak up on me like that! I might have a heart attack, and we both know I’m too young to have a heart attack.” Jack scrutinized Hiccup for a moment, “Y’know, for an amputee, you’re a pretty quiet walker. Doesn’t that thing ever squeak?”

Hiccup glanced down at his missing limb and its metal replacement, “Not really, no; I oil it pretty often and change out parts when I need to.”

“You know what I just realized? You’ve never told me how you lost your leg. I assume it’s a childhood accident or something, ‘cuz you don’t limp much.” Jack peered closer at the fake iron foot, “It’s pretty neat.” Jack figured Hiccup made it himself.

Hiccup waved away the first set of questions embarrassedly, “It’s not a great story. I didn’t think you’d want to hear it.”

“Of course I wanna hear it!” _It’s about you; I want to hear everything about you._ “Are you crazy?” Jack gaped at the brunet incredulously, “Okay, I’ve now decided it’s story time, so come down here and start talking!” the white-haired spirit tapped the ground next to him beckoningly.

Hiccup chuckled, “Whatever, I’m warning you though, it’s not great or anything.” He sat down, allowing Toothless to curl around the two boys protectively and doze off.

Hiccup launched into the story about meeting Toothless, dragon training (his own and Toothless’), the discovery and subsequent nabbing of his dragon via his father, Hiccup doing something crazy and rescuing both his dragon and his village, and then the final fight with the Red Death and waking up without a foot. Jack sat through the entire thing silently, his expression changing with the mood of the story, from wonder, to anger, to sympathy.

“Gobber tried his best when he made the prototype, but I eventually had to redo it so it didn’t bother the stump and it fit better when I had my growth spurt.” Hiccup explained the dynamics of the device, and it purpose in helping Toothless, who wouldn’t be able to fly without him there.

At the end of the story, the sun was on its downward path, but still a ways off from being evening. Jack was frowning down at the prosthetic contemplatively. Hiccup expected a question any time now—

“How old were you when you died?”

There it was. Not the question he expected, but whatever, “Nineteen. I was fourteen when I lost my foot. What about you? How old were you when you became Jack Frost?”

Jack stiffened at the posed question, “I don’t know.”

“Oh, come on now; I gave you practically my life story just now and you ‘don’t know’? You must have at least some idea, there can’t be _that_ much of a difference between our ages, both as a mortal and as a spirit.”

“No, Hiccup, I really _don’t know_. I don’t have any memories from when I was human. I only remember waking up as Jack Frost and knowing the Moon had some unknown purpose for me that I was meant to fulfill. But if you’re going to be a jackass about it, I can go.” Jack huffed, moving to stand up.

Hiccup panicked, grabbing the end of his friend’s cloak, “Wait, Jack I didn’t know! Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound insensitive or anything. Do you really not remember anything?”

Jack sighed, “No, nothing… only a bright light and suddenly I was kneeling on the surface of the pond outside Burgess, gasping for air that I didn’t need.”

Hiccup was about to respond, but there was a sudden thump and a _huge_ rabbit appeared out of a hole in the ground, glaring at them angrily.

“Oi, could you stop yapping up here and get lost?” Hiccup blinked at the sudden appearance of what could only be the Easter Bunny; he was definitely someone to behold. Big, mean, and covered in furry tattoos. “ If it isn’t Jack Frost; don’t you know it’s springtime down here; you need to be up north somewhere, not in the middle of my Easter preparations! And who’s that you got with you, bloody show pony? Mate, is he bothering you?”

Hiccup was affronted on Jack’s behalf at the bunny’s attitude towards his friend, “Oh yeah, all the time, but I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

Jack gaped as he watched his friend ream Bunny a new one. No one’s ever stood up for him like this. Though, to be fair, every time he’s run into Bunnymund, Hiccup had been elsewhere.

Aster reared back, “Ain’t no reason to be snappy! I don’t even know you!” The rabbit’s ears laid back defensively.

“That’s right, you don’t know me. I am Mabon Morrigan, Autumn Spirit, Bringer of Change and the Wind, and you just insulted my friend! I don’t see how there’s any reason _not_ to be snappy!” Hiccup stood up and he noted how the bunny’s eyes strayed directly to his missing limb in astonishment. Toothless, completely awake now, crouched behind his boy and Jack and growled at the ballsy new creature. Bunnymund took in the large black dragon with something close to fear, before swallowing it down and glaring back. Hiccup snorted at the large rodent and climbed onto Toothless’ saddle, “C’mon Jack, let’s get out of here.”

As they’re flying away, Jack wonders why his friend introduced himself as Hiccup when they first met.

Unbeknownst to the white-haired spirit, Hiccup is suddenly wondering the same thing.

Once they’ve vacated Bunnymund’s presence, Hiccup asks Jack what the rabbit’s problem is.

“Oh him…? Yeah, he’s never been too impressed with me. Sometimes my season overlaps with his holiday and he’s forced to cancel the entire thing. Of course, sometimes I do it on purpose just to piss him off, but that’s neither here nor there.” Jack and Hiccup shared a laugh at the bunny’s expense. The brunet, once they’ve quieted, glances sidelong at the Winter Spirit with a mischievous smile that Jack’s never seen before and causes his heart to simultaneously skip beats and speed up erratically.

“I wouldn’t be… _adverse_ if you’d like to get some revenge on him… He shouldn’t have insulted you like that, especially not in front of me, but definitely never while you’re alone either.”

Jack’s equally mischievous grin practically eats his face.

And that was how the Blizzard of ’68 occurred.

(It’s also when Jack Frost realizes he’s fallen ass over teakettle for his best friend.)  
\---------------------------

(2010; 42 Years Later)

When Jack disappears right out from under Hiccup’s nose, he has to keep himself from panicking outright and instead allow Toothless to lead him to the last spot where the Winter Spirit was.

It’s almost Easter, so Hiccup isn’t nearly as surprised as he should be that Toothless picks up Bunnymund’s scent at the scene with a pink flower of some kind sprouting in the concrete nearby.

Jack, when he’d flown off, merely muttered something about ‘be right back’ and disappeared down a road of Burgess, where they were visiting. Earlier, Jack’s crazy antics with the little Jamie boy lost the child a tooth, so the brunet figured Jack had gone to see if he was okay. (Then again, that same child had walked straight through him once his haywire sled-ride had ended, an experience which Hiccup knew basically crushed Jack’s self-esteem every time.)

It wasn’t until Hiccup realized that the boy’s house was in the total opposite direction that Jack had flown, and he’d been gone for twenty minutes that the dragon rider got _that_ feeling of wrongness and took off after him.

At the apparent scene of the kidnapping (spirit-napping…Jack-napping…) he also found traces of course fur that could only belong to—

“Yetis… Dammit, North is involved, too! C’mon Toothless, we gotta go find Jack before he gets into even worse trouble.” Hiccup jumped onto the black reptile’s saddled back and they were off, flying with utmost speed to the North Pole. Hiccup even called upon the winds to help them out and get them there all the faster.

Meanwhile, Jack was getting a Guardian-induced headache.

“All the more reason to pick someone more qualified!” he says in reply to North’s explanation of Pitch’s intentions. _Like Hiccup_ , his mind supplies, he _at least has battle experience, what with fighting dragons and all_.

“Pick! You think _we_ pick? No, you were _chosen_!” North exclaims, throwing his hands up. “We were _all_ chosen!” The large Russian gestures at the open skylight, “By Man in Moon.”

Jack stops, spinning around, “...What?” He looks at the other four incredulously, not believing what he’s hearing.

“Last night, Jack... He chose you...” Toothiana says, fluttering closer.

“Maybe...” Bunny mutters disdainfully.

“Man on the Moon... He _talks_ to you?” His incredulity is rising as the minutes pass and suddenly all he wants to be doing is talking to Hiccup. Not these four wannabe fun-bringers.

“You see, you cannot say no. It is destiny.”

“W-why wouldn't he tell me that himself…? After 300 years _this_ is his answer? To spend _eternity_ like you guys, cooped up in some—some _hideout_ thinking of—of—of new ways to bribe kids?” Jack turns to the silent Moon, hung suspended in the sky with an angry snarl, “No-ho-ho, _no_. That's _not_ for me!” Really…? All this time in silence and the Man on the Moon has the _gall_ to tell someone other than Jack himself about his apparent initiation? Not cool, Manny, not cool. Suddenly, the boy adopts a straight face, swinging back to look at the Guardians, “No offense.”

This, predictably, sets Aster off. The two go at it for a while, wherein Bunny accuses Jack of not knowing how to bring children joy, Jack responds with a jab at Easter and its uselessness as a holiday, and Bunny brings it full circle with a mention of Jack’s invisibility to children and his apparent inexistence.

“Bunny, that’s enough!” Tooth snaps.

“No, the kangaroo's right.” Jack says, mock-seriously, leaning on his staff with a negligence that makes Aster’s eye twitch.

“Th— the _what_ …?” Bunny splutters, taking an aggressive step forward. “What did you call me? I'm _not_ a kangaroo, mate.”

Jack makes a careless, all-encompassing gesture with his hand, “Oh, and this whole time I thought you were.” The white-haired spirit leans forward with a scowl, “If you're not a kangaroo, _what are you_?”

Bunny’s ears go back and he gets into Jack’s face, “I'm a _bunny_.” He says it like everyone should be proud of being something generally thought of as cute and fuzzy and kept as pets, “The _Easter_ Bunny. People _believe_ in _me_.”

Jack’s glare falters at the mention, and his ice-blue eyes go slightly unfocused in half-muffled pain, and he wishes Hiccup were here to keep his promise regarding Bunnymund and commiserate with him because he doesn’t have believers either and _‘It’s okay, Jack, because we’ve got each other, so who needs ‘em anyway?’_

Behind the quarreling duo, Sandy rocks on his heels and taps North’s leg in a signal to _do something_. North takes it as it is and gathers the combatants’ attentions, “Jack, walk with me.”

The walk through the workshop is memorable for Jack, who’s been trying to sneak in for decades, but once they reach North’s office it’s suddenly all business again.

“Who _are you_ , Jack Frost? What is your center?” North booms, getting into Jack’s personal space something awful. The Winter Spirit notes that the large man smells like cookies and peppermint and all things Christmas and it’s making him dizzy. Not like Hiccup’s scent (rocky shores and open skies and cool afternoons in the autumn sun) which makes him dizzy for a whole different reason, but dizzy all the same.

“My center?” Jack parrots back, confused at the Russian’s sudden excitement.

“If Man in Moon chose you to be a Guardian, you must have something very special inside.” He backs away, crossing his arms and stroking his mustache thoughtfully. “Hmm...” North looks off at something on one of his shelves and then back to Jack with a raised eyebrow and enigmatic smirk. He moves over and grabs a large nesting doll that looks like him, holding it up for Jack to see, “Here. This is how you see me, no? Very big, intimidating... But if you get to know me a little...”He tosses Jack the doll. “Well, go on.”

Jack opens the first layer cautiously, peering inside at a smaller, happier doll with red cheeks and a wide grin, “You are... downright jolly?” The teen’s not sure where this is going and it shows in his smile.

“Ah, but not _just_ jolly!” Jack opens next layer, which depicts North holding his coat to his face like a cape, “I am also _mysterious_ ,” Jack glances at North in mild bemusement and opens third layer (North has _two_ swords? Who knew), “–and fearless,” Jack’s hands are full, so he pulls out the fourth layer (which shows North wearing a simpering smile and holding a baby reindeer) and sets the rest down on a worktop, “—and caring, and at my center?” Jack opens last layer and shakes out the solid piece into North's palm. It rolls so it’s facing him.

“There's a tiny wooden baby...” He rubs his forehead exasperatedly. Jack really doesn’t know where North is taking this… Hiccup would know what the hell the big guy was trying to tell him… he was smart like that.

North hands the doll to Jack eagerly, “Look closer. What do you see?”

Jack turns the doll in his fingers and shakes his head uncertainly, “You have big eyes?”

“Yes!” Jack jumps at the exclamation almost dropping the doll. “Big eyes! _Very big_!” North opens his eyes comically wide with his fingers, then grabs Jacks shoulders and shakes him, “Because they are full of _wonder_... _That_ is my center.” Jack grins incredulously at North’s enthusiasm and follows North's path through his office with his eyes. “It is what I was _born_ with. Eyes that have always seen the _wonder in everything!_ Eyes that see the lights in the trees and magic in the air… This wonder is what I put into the world! And…” North looks down at Jack fondly, “…what I protect in children. It is what makes me a Guardian. It is my center.” He leans closer to Jack curiously, “What is yours?”

Jack looks down and away, suddenly unable to meet North’s dark blue eyes, “I don't know.” He states truthfully. _Hiccup probably does though…_

North nods understandingly and closes Jack's fist around the nesting doll, telling the boy, silently, to keep it. Jack looks up and gives a fleeting smile.

That’s when Bunny comes tearing around the corner, Sandy at his heels, with an alarmed look on his face, “We have a problem, mate. Trouble at the Tooth Palace,”

It all goes downhill from there.

~*~*~*~*~

No matter how fast they fly, Hiccup is always one step behind Jack and the others.

When he makes it to the North Pole, Phil the Yeti tells him that they’ve already taken off to deal with something at the Palace of Toothiana (in not so many words… or… any words, really). When he reaches Tooth Palace, he finds devastation and traces of black Dream Sand, and immediately he realizes that Jack is in danger. Pitch Black hasn’t been seen since before Hiccup died, so whatever reason he has for showing up now is neither good for Jack’s continued existence, nor Hiccup’s sanity and heart health.

At this point he’s glad Toothless doesn’t need to rest; otherwise, his poor dragon would’ve been run ragged. That being said, Hiccup doesn’t know where they’ve gone now, so he allows Toothless to take a breather and they keep a slow and steady path back to Burgess, where the brunet knows Jack will turn up eventually. Whatever he’s doing now involves the Guardians, and as much as Hiccup doesn’t like it, that’s not his jurisdiction. As the Bringer of Change, Hiccup is aware of how _little_ Guardianship material he has. Children don’t like change; most people don’t, so helping them out is very much out of the question.

But, if Jack was in danger, screw the consequences, hang the rules, because nothing was keeping Hiccup from protecting his best friend (and secret crush), not even the Boogeyman. Toothless, though slow to warm up to most people, agreed with this sentiment entirely, because Jack was just as much his boy as Hiccup was at this point—two hundred years helps with the getting-to-know-you process like you wouldn’t believe—and nothing pisses off a protective dragon like danger to his kits.

Unfortunately, when they arrive in Burgess, things have taken a turn for the worst.

He spies his trouble-maker ( _his_ …?) zooming down the street, leading a ragtag group of drooping Guardians and cheering children in a makeshift sled-ride that gives Hiccup déjà vu.

“Jack!”

The white-haired spirit looks up, along with everyone else—including the children—, as Toothless swoops in close to the flying boy. Hiccup recognizes Jamie, the child that Jack inadvertently made lose a tooth, and his friends, but that wasn’t _nearly_ as important as ripping Jack a new one for making him worry.

“You absolute _hálfviti_ ,” Hiccup starts furiously, “Where in the Nine Realms have you _been_?”

North’s eyes go big, “That is not nice word…” On the lead ‘sled’ Jamie is starring wide-eyed at Toothless, mouthing _dragon_ unbelievingly. The black reptilian sees this, and gives the boy one of his famous toothless ‘smiles’.

“Now is _not_ the time, Hiccup! Pitch is right behind us! I’ll explain everything _later_!” Jack skids around a turn onto the main street.

“Jack, who is that…?” Jamie calls over the rushing wind.

Hiccup stares at the child bewildered, then up to Jack, “He can see us?” He breathes. “How… when…?”

Jack shrugs, “I guess, now that they’ve seen me, the magic lets them see you, too. They believe in everything now, why not the Spirit of Autumn?”

They grind to a halt, in the middle of the main road into and out of Burgess, to the sight of Pitch Black atop one of his Nightmares and a whole legion of them stamping around behind him. He scrutinizes Hiccup closely before giving a vicious grin, “I know you… You’re Mabon! The Changer, the Harvester! Why, you’re even less believed in than Jack here! Though, I’m not surprised… Suddenly finding all your childhood heroes are real must be a big _change_ to such small children…” His grin drops abruptly, “It’s no good though. You can’t help them anymore than these _brats_ can. You’re about as useless in this fight as they are!” He throws his hands back at the looming cloud of Black Sand, “You think you and a few children can help them? Against _this…_?”

Hiccup doesn’t take his eyes off the storm of Nightmares, even as Jack turns to the little boy to whisper, “They’re just bad dreams, Jamie.”

“And we’ll protect you, mate!” Bunny assures, trying to put up a brave front, even though he was not his huge Pooka-self any longer.

Pitch cocks his head in artificial endearment, “Aw, you’ll protect them? But who will protect _you_?”

Hiccup, ever the stupidly brave one, steps forward in front of Jack and the children. He draws his sword, something he hasn’t had to use in centuries, and ignites it, illuminating their immediate vicinity in warm, comforting light, “I will. And you can be _sure_ that I won’t go down without taking you with me!” Hiccup’s snarl is mirrored and amplified by Toothless’, who crouches protectively behind him, ready at any moment to scoop up his rider and start the battle.

“So will I,” A shaky voice calls from his right. Startled, Hiccup looks down to see Jamie, standing stubbornly before the powerless Guardians. One by one, his friends join him, until all of them have created a barrier between the Nightmares, and Hiccup and the Guardians.

Pitch smirks, “Still think there’s no such thing as the Boogeyman?” And like that, the sand presses closer, sweeping in like a tidal wave.

But Jamie and the children stand their ground, “I believe in you… I’m just not _afraid_ of you.” He reaches out his hand and before Hiccup can do anything, the black sand is upon him.

Only, it’s suddenly not black anymore.

Golden Dream Sand pours from the wave, going every which way, and the children start cheering and clapping. Suddenly, Toothiana gives a cry and begins zooming around. North jumps up with a shout, swords brandished.

But that’s not the end of it. More sand burst forth, breaking through the gold like a monster, ready to devour the weak and helpless. Hiccup slashes through several Nightmares and jumps onto Toothless, who snaps at a few more and takes off.

On the street, North summons his Yetis, and Bunny his stone eggs, both immediately beginning an assault. A boomerang flies passed Hiccup’s head, but he pays it no mind, too busy covering Jack’s back as the boy jumps up to take on Pitch himself.

He destroys any mares he crosses paths with as he’s following Jack through the town. Pitch is putting up a fight, but now that Dream Sand has been purified from the black, it’s clear his borrowed powers are waning. Hiccup sends a burst of wind underneath Jack to give him extra lift, allowing the teen to drop in on Pitch and knock him off the roof, where North blows him down to the street.

Just when it seems like they’ve cornered him, Pitch pulls another of his tricks and sinks into the shadows of the buildings. Hiccup is looking the wrong way when Pitch rises back out of the ground with his scythe, and Bunny’s shout pulls his focus just in time to watch Jack freeze under the coming blow of the weapon.

Hiccup’s heart stutters to a jarring halt as all the air in his lungs is expelled in one breath.

“ _JACK!”_

The blow never meets. Instead, a tendril of Dream Sand whips around the staff of the weapon and yanks it, and Pitch, over the line of buses and into a small clearing between the houses, where more golden sand is winding into a glowing tornado that parts to emit—

“ _Sandy_!”

The Sandman wastes no time in throwing the Boogeyman into the air, tipping his hat to the children. When Pitch comes back down, he doesn’t get up again.

Hiccup interprets this as the aforementioned _later_ , stumbling from Toothless’ saddle and all but tackling his Winter Spirit. Jack staggers back a few steps, but with the brunet clinging to him, he doesn’t fall.

“You idiot,” Hiccup breathes against Jack’s thin shoulder, “You Odin-damned idiot… I thought I was about to lose you…” Hiccup is taller than Jack by a few good inches, but in that moment, the weight of his worry and anguish and _‘what if’_ s stoops his shoulders and bends his back enough to allow him to shudder in Jack’s embrace. The white-haired spirit suddenly forgets their company and pulls Hiccup’s head up to meet him eye-to-eye.

“Hey,” he brushes Hiccup’s unruly hair out of his face tenderly, “Hey, it’s okay… I’m not going anywhere, promise.” He grins cheekily, “‘Sides, what would you do without me? You and Toothless would be lost without my charming good looks and witty comebacks!”

“I—You—I’m—!” Hiccup splutters for a moment while Jack laughs at his expense. In a fit of impulsive courage, Hiccup seizes the tops of Jack’s arms and reels him into a kiss like nothing he’s ever had before.

Jack tenses before melting into Hiccup’s hold like butter, winding his arms, staff clattering to the concrete, around the other spirit’s shoulders while Hiccup’s moved to his waist. Hiccup’s secret theories of what Jack’s wintery breath tastes like are finally put to rest—falling snowflakes, fresh icicles, and wintermint… everything and nothing like what Hiccup imagined because the real thing is so much better than a fantasy and Odin, he’s suddenly glad that they don’t _need_ to breathe because he could do this forever and a day if Jack let him… He figures Jack feels the same if the way his cold tongue is trying to breach his lips is any sign.

They break apart slowly, Hiccup leaning his forehead against Jack’s in a moment of peaceful surrender—

—that’s broken by the clearing of a throat.

They don’t leap apart—what’s the point, they have an audience—but they do separate a bit, never leaving contact with each other, hands clasped, shoulders bumping.

Jack’s got a silly smile on his face that Hiccup _knows_ is spread across his own lips as well.

The Guardians, the children, and the Yetis are all gaping at them in astonishment. Aster has a paw over his mouth, presumably the one who coughed, “Mind, uh, explaining this, Jack?”

Jack is totally unrepentant, shrugging casually, “Nothin’ to explain, Bunny. It’s new to me, too.”

Hiccup blushes in embarrassment, the snow around him melting. He tethers his powers back under control instantly, even more embarrassed by the slip. Jack chuckles and leans up to kiss his burning cheek reassuringly.

“Mind introducing yourself?” North booms in his thick accent. Nostalgia hits him suddenly as memories of his father crash over him. The accent is vastly different, but the thickness and tone is similar enough.

“I’m, uh, well…” the brunet glances down at his, what… friend, boyfriend, lover… and Jack nods at him encouragingly, “To mortals, especially in the land I hail from, I’m known as Mabon Morrigan, the Autumn Spirit, the Harvester, the Bringer of Change and Winds and the Equinox, but here… here I’m just Hiccup.” He admits.

“Wait! I’ve read about you!” Jamie shouts, jumping up, “You were in a book I have about Norwegian Seasonal Spirits! You’re usually depicted with ravens or horses, not dragons…”

Hiccup chuckled at the boy’s interest, “Originally, yes, because those are animals you’d find on the battlefield. My legend is older than me, I’m afraid. My predecessor was brought about by the Moon during a time of war for the ancient clans of my people. It’s not surprising that those myths have stuck for so long after the battles ended. The Moon chose me much later to hopefully be the new image for the season of autumn.”

“Sorry to break it to you, Hic, but I don’t think it’s working.” Jack chortled, “Your face, though handsome, doesn’t really scream _autumn_ to me.”

“Oh really…?” Hiccup asked teasingly. He released Jack’s hand long enough to reach down, scoop up some snow, and throw it at the Winter Spirit’s face. Jack sputtered and flailed for a moment, then conjured his own snow and threw it right back. Hiccup ducked and the snow sailed right over his head and into the awaiting face of Phil the Yeti. It escalated quickly from there.

The uproarious battle ended shortly, though, as Pitch stumbled to his feet and realized that no one but his fellow spirits could see him. He tried to run, but they were faster, catching him on Jack’s pond outside of Burgess.

The Tooth Fairy gets to punch that smug smirk right off Pitch’s face—an action that looks as satisfying as it sounds. Pitch tries to talk his way out of it, spewing some tripe about never being gone, but when the leftover Nightmares come, and everyone admits to not being afraid, they all collectively come to the realization that it’s not their fear they smell, but _Pitch’s_. His own creations turn on him and they sweep him away and into the distance, hopefully taking him somewhere far, preferably back to the hole the crawled out of.

The children rejoin them, and just as the sun is cresting the horizon, Jack is initiated into Guardian-hood, much to Hiccup and Toothless’ beaming pride.

North’s reindeer appear with his sleigh, and that’s about when Hiccup decides it’s time to go. Spring is on its way, so Winter isn’t needed here anymore, and Autumn is _definitely_ out of season (pun intended), so they need to go before people get suspicious over the drawn out stay of the cold season.

“C’mon Jack, I think it’s time we left.” Hiccup calls to his boyfriend (screw it, that’s what he is!)

Jack smiles and turns to Jamie, who looks sad to see him go, but understands that he’ll be back, one day. Jack grins at his first believer, getting up and walking towards Hiccup, who’s already mounted on Toothless.

“Wait Jack!” and suddenly Jamie is tumbling into the Winter Spirit, wrapping around him in a fierce hug. Jack’s breath leaves him in an audible _whoosh_ , and he’s visibly stunned for a second, but he returns the hug just as fiercely as the little boy. When they part, Sandy throws up a glittering ball of sand that explodes into brilliant fireworks sure to make the children sleepy.

Jack veers passed the sleigh where his fellow Guardians sit, and instead clambers onto Toothless’ back behind Hiccup, who smiles over his shoulder at the other teen. Jack twines his arms around Hiccup’s midsection, and he presses against his back comfortably. The Guardians share a knowing look, but no one protests and North snaps the reins as Toothless shoots skyward.

That’s when Hiccup admits that he’s just as in love with Jack as Jack is with him.

And he’s okay with that.


End file.
